February 2017 celebrating love valentine's day church newsletter by Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church

The

Spire

February 2017 February 2017

Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church

Restoring Hope in the God of Second Chances! Restoring Hope in theGood God ofto Second Chances! Vision 2017: from Great “Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great [churches], principally because we have good [churches]. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't Churches are a reflection of the values and passions of people in it. We all know that some churches have plateaued because the people have plateaued in their reverence and enthusiasm. Some churches have chosen to hunkered down against a world they see as hostile which, if left unchanged, will result in stagnation, decline and death. Some churches have simply lost their way and are simply preserved memories. Fortunately, this is not true of all churches or people! Let us make sure it is never true of us! Churches are a reflection of the values and passions of people in it. We all know that some churches have plateaued because the people have plateaued in their reverence and enthusiasm. Some churches have chosen to hunkered down against a world they see as hostile which, if left unchanged, will result in stagnation, decline and death. Some churches have simply lost their way and are simply preserved memories. Fortunately, this is not true of all churches or people! Let us make sure it is never true of us! Good to Great is invitation to stand up and step out in a new direction, together. Good to Great (G2G) is a challenging, some say impossible, vision of what we can become. G2G is a strategic plan so unusual that if God is not in it and if you’re not part of it, it is destined to fail. It is bold because if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you Over the next couple of Sundays, we’ll share the pieces of how we can move the church from Good to Great. Together we will build a plan to achieve what others refuse to believe is possible. The framework of G2G plan can be broken down into three general areas and five specific goals. Awaken the Sleeping Giant…through Intense Prayer and Inspirational Worship Good churches inspire themselves, Great churches inspire others. Unleash the Power of God…through Compelling Generosity & Caring Life Groups Some things happen in circles that just can’t happen in rows. Share the Journey… through Community Connections. The best place to restore hope and rebuild lives is among friends “When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives your economic engine come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.” Jim Collins Blessings,

“Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.”

Proverbs 22:17 “A merry heart does good like medicine”

The Wednesday Night Dinner is an opportunity to do just that. A catered meal from daVinci’s is served at a cost of $7.50 for an adult meal. The children have a “kids plate” for free. The food is blessed at 5:30 p.m. sharp and everyone enjoys a delicious entrée, salad, bread, dessert and drink while visiting. The attendance to date averages around 76 people. Volunteers typically set up on Tuesday evening which includes wrapping silverware, setting up tables and chairs, decorating and adding the salt and pepper shakers to the table. Volunteers also greet and serve the meal from the kitchen window. Following the meal on Wednesday, people all pitch in to help in cleaning up the fellowship hall and kitchen. Some folks then go to choir. Blessings, Joyce Jarrell-Hicks

I want to encourage everyone to invite a friend to our Wednesday Night Dinner.

For a cost of $7.50, you can bring a friend to meet your church family. This was designed to be a non-threating way for people to meet our Mt. Pleasant Family. This is a small price to pay to give a friend eternal life in heaven once they meet and accept Jesus. I also want to thank everyone who has volunteered to help with this ministry. As you can imagine it takes a lot of volunteers to make this work. If it was not for Cynthia Goldworthy, Joyce Jarrell-Hicks, Elaine Smith, Bob Criss, Jodi Lockhart, Pastor Steve and Linette Gedon and all the rest of the volunteers it would not have succeeded and been such a blessing. I encourage everyone to sign-up and come out and join us. I think you will enjoy yourself getting to know your church family and you will not have to cook after a busy day at work or home.

God Bless,

Jenny Criss

News from the Preschool We are off to a great start in 2017! After a very busy December, January is

“Let It Snow” month in our three year old class. We focus on winter books and fun, wintery activities. Our four year old class moved right along in their quest to master the alphabet while focusing on the letters L, M, N, and O. February brings us “All About Animals” for the three year old class. We will talk about animals that live on the farm, in the zoo, in the arctic, and in our homes. We will visit the Mineral Wells Veterinary Hospital and have our Valentine’s Day party. Our four year old class will focus on letters P, Q, R, and S. We will introduce the last of our 18 sight words, enjoy our Valentine’s Day party, and will be working with flashcard volunteers most days. Assessments for upcoming Parent/Teacher conferences with both classes will continue, and we will release some winter energy at our annual preschool skating party! Enrollment for the 2017-2018 school year has begun for current Mt. Pleasant Preschool families, and February 6 for the public. Classes usually fill the first day. Names will be taken for waiting lists. For more information, you may contact us at (304) 489-3100, or at mtpleasantpreschool@gmail.com.

Ministry Volunteers Acolytes 5 12 19 26

Gabi Davis & Rylee Davis Aiden Garrett & Ashton Garrett Cameron Fallon & Chase Offenberger Peyton Kuhn Farr & Bryce Smedley

Bread Bakers 5 12 19 26

Helen Wright Ann Mayhew Carol Dobson Roger & Jodi Hodges

Children’s Church 5 12 19 26

Sherry Hess & Melanie Garrett Betsy Offenberger & Lisa Smith Melanie Matheny & Janet Beeson Linette Gedon

Greeters ~ 8:15 am 5 12 19 26

John & Linda Bargeloh Butch & Carol Dobson Ann Mayhew & Jean Evans Cyndy Goldsworthy & Roger Hodges

Each Sunday evening students attending THRIVE’S youth meeting begin by enjoying fellowship with one another while eating dinner provided by donations from our youth families. They also get the opportunity to worship God through song and a time of prayer. We regularly pray for one another, our friends and family and praise God for all he has helped us with and blessed us with. Games that are challenging, fun, and innovative allow students time to have fun with one another and build relationships with one another. Games also can challenge students with an idea that usually relates to the lesson for the evening. This month students are participating in “SHINE” lessons written by Greg Steir from Dare to Share ministries. Shine prepares students to navigate gospel conversations from “takeoff to touchdown.” They’ll learn how to… …face their fears …find their motivation …master their message …share their story …engage their circle and …continue their conversations about the GOSPEL.

Valentines’ Dinner Mt. Pleasant UMC Fellowship Hall Saturday, February 11th 5:30 –7:00 pm Sponsored by our Thrive Youth Ministry

Thrive Youth Ministry will be serving dinner on Saturday, Feb. 11, as a Valentines’ date night. Come see the church fellowship hall transformed into a romantic restaurant atmosphere where you will be served dinner based on your reservations. Help raise money for the church youth group to go on a WV mission trip this summer! Meals are $15/single or $25/couple. Reservations are available for 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00. Childcare will be provided. Pizza is available for children upon request. Please make reservations by completing the form on the church app or by forms available in the church office and bulletin. If you have any questions , you can contact, Amanda Eagle, at amanda.eagle@k12.wv.us or 304-482-0535.

One month down. That was quick. As this update is being written, the trustees have yet to meet. This means no election of officers have taken place. Which means, no Chairperson. Our first meeting will be January 30 and Pastor Steve will lead the meeting. So, by the time you receive this letter, the trustees will have elected a new chairperson, a vice-chairperson and a secretary. Following is the list of trustees for 2017. Class of 2017 – Greg Cappadona, Charlotte Valentine, Jon Mader Class of 2018 Bev Davis, Joyce Jarell-Hicks, Brian Moore Class of 2019 – Lisa Smith, Kay Perkins, Frank Hughes Please contact one of the trustees with any concerns, problems or issues. And, you are always welcome to any of the trustee’s meetings, if you can get thru the door and know the correct knock and password. We usually meet @ 7pm on the first Monday of the Month. The trustees, much like a galaxy, are a great group. Why like a galaxy you may ask. Because a galaxy is an aggregation of stars. 2017 will be another great year. The sanctuary and the main church building will be 20 years old. The trustees have a number of projects that will be announced in the next couple of months. Keep your sleeves rolled up and be ready for the next church wide service day. The trustees are finishing up work on the parsonage. New lighting has been installed in the hallway, sitting room, entryway and dining room. Blinds for the dining room and sitting room are being installed. New sliding doors are still needed for the sunroom and the lawnmower is being purchased. The date for the Eagle Scout deck project will be announced when weather permits. All in all, the cost of these improvements will be about $16,000. Donations can be earmarked for the Building Fund/Parsonage. Thank you for your giving. Thank you for your support. The Trustees

Please join us as we continue to serve as: “ . . . a community of women whose PURPOSE is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.

At our January meeting, the United Methodist Women discussed several mission projects for this year. Please mark your calendar for the following events: February 5, 2017 - Super Undie Sunday. Please bring in a package of new and unopened underwear. There will be a designated area in the Narthex to receive your donations. The underwear is being collected for House of the Carpenter in Wheeling, WV. February 26, 2017 - Mission Sunday. The United Methodist Women will sponsor a luncheon following second service. We will receive an update on this year’s mission trips to Zimbabwe, and the Flood Relief projects. We will also be updated on Pastor Steve’s upcoming mission trip to Haiti, and learn how we can become involved. March 5 - Easter Sunday - A special Lent family activity will be announced to help you prepare for Easter details to follow. We also discussed our annual yard sale which will be held in the spring. Please start saving your donated items. We will let you know as soon as the date has been finalized. The Spiritual Growth Retreat will be held this year at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV on March 16-17 and also on March 18-19. If anyone is interested in attending, registration forms are available on our web site at www. mympumc.net/ministries/umw. The United Methodist Women meet the second Tuesday of each month in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 pm. Our next meeting will be held on February 14, 2017. If you have some free time that you are looking to fill, and have a passion and a desire to help others, please come and join us at our next meeting. Until next time, God's blessings to you and yours, Jane Utt President

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Jean Bush

Cathy Cunningham

Rob Mayhew

Betty Ball

Matt Spaur

Rick Armstrong

The Launch Meeting 6:30 pm

Rick Dellinger

Theresa Burdette Ben Starkey

Jeffery Tucker

Valentine’s Day Dinner 5:30— 7:00 pm

Kendal Mader DJ Daugherty